Key takeaways from Sunday’s NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas

With the Olympics all over, die-hard NBA fans have their attention on the Summer League, which saw seven games take place on Sunday, August 8th with plenty of future stars on the court. Below is a look at some of the most notable takeaways from Sunday’s action.

Cade Cunningham’s debut

The first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft made his Summer League debut on Sunday for the Detroit Pistons in a 76-72 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Cunningham scored 12 points on 5 of 17 shooting from the floor with six rebounds and two assists. He got plenty of shots up and knocked down 2 of 7 three-point shots but was not great in taking care of the ball with five turnovers in the 26 minutes he played. The Pistons are not expected to have much success this upcoming season, but it will be exciting to watch the franchise grow with Cunningham leading the way.

Jalen Green shines in debut

The No. 2 overall pick in this summer’s draft played very well in his first Summer League game with the Houston Rockets. Jalen Green scored a game-high 23 points in an 84-76 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was efficient from the floor, making 9 of 18 shots including 4 of 9 from the three-point line with five rebounds and two assists. Also noteworthy is he turned the ball over just once in 30 minutes of action. A lot is expected of Green with this franchise, and he’s off to a great start.

Wizards-Pacers canceled due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic remains an issue, and it is not surprising to see Summer League exposed to it. The Wizards had to undergo contact tracing and could not dress enough players for the game. The Delta variant is resulting in an increase in overall COVID-19 cases, so this will be something to track for the exhibition slate.

Sunday final scores

Celtics 85, Hawks 83
Raptor 89, Knicks 79
Blazers 93, Hornets 86
Rockets 84, Cavaliers 76
Thunder 76, Pistons 72
Heat 97, Nuggets 77
Lakers 73, Suns 72
Wizards vs. Pacers — postponed, COVID-19